1-1 By: Haywood S.B. No. 1385 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 19, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; 1-4 April 4, 1997, reported favorably, as amended, by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 4, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Duncan 1-7 Amend S.B. No. 1385 in SECTION 1 of the bill, on page 1, line 32, 1-8 by adding the following subsection: 1-9 (c) The attorney general shall obtain the approval of the 1-10 appropriate authority overseeing a proceeding under Subsection 1-11 (a)(2) before using videoconferencing technology under this 1-12 section. 1-13 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-14 AN ACT 1-15 relating to the use of videoconferencing technology by the office 1-16 of the attorney general. 1-17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-18 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is 1-19 amended by adding Section 402.0213 to read as follows: 1-20 Sec. 402.0213. APPEARANCE THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING 1-21 TECHNOLOGY. (a) The office of the attorney general may use 1-22 videoconferencing technology: 1-23 (1) as a substitute for personal appearances in civil 1-24 and criminal proceedings, as approved by the court; and 1-25 (2) for any proceeding, conference, or training 1-26 conducted by an employee of the office of the attorney general 1-27 whose duties include the implementation of Chapter 56, Code of 1-28 Criminal Procedure, and Chapter 57, Family Code. 1-29 (b) In this section, "videoconferencing technology" means 1-30 technology that provides for a conference of individuals in 1-31 different locations, connected by electronic means, through audio, 1-32 video, or both. 1-33 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-34 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-35 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-36 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-37 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-38 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-39 * * * * *